Slovenia band Laibach concert in Ukraine canceled amid rift

By ALI ZERDIN
Associated Press

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — A planned concert by Slovenia’s popular bank Laibach in Ukraine next month has been cancelled after the group angered Ukrainians by remarks interpreted to suggest that Kiyv was a client state fighting a war for its Western masters. The iconic band known for using military-style imagery and totalitarian symbols, was due to perform in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on March 31. The band has said the concert was meant to show support for the Ukrainian people during the war but organizers said that their comments published in The Guardian newspaper have created “controversy” and discord, forcing the cancellation. Ukrainians apparently were angered by Laibach’s statement calling the war in Ukraine “a cynical proxy war for the geostrategic interests” of world powers.